Electric heater and vaporizer



P 1947. c. LIBMAN ET AL 7 2,426,939

ELECTRIC HEATER AND VAPORIZER Filed Dec. 19, 1945 INVENTORS 66 4215 05/114 BY Mu/AM 4. 62/5526 Patented Sept. 2, 1947 ELECTRIC HEATER AND VAPORIZER Charles Libman and William A. Gribble, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 19, 1945, Serial No. 636,032

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in electric space heaters.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved electric space heater which has associated therewith a means for vaporizing water so that as the heat heats the atmosphere in a compartment or room that the relative humidity of the atmosphere may be maintained or increased.

More specifically an object of the invention. is to provide an electric heater consisting of a water reservoir with one or more tubular heating element supports suitably mounted thereon with their interiors open to the water reservoir and having heating elements mounted on the exterior thereof with means for discharging Water in a finely divided or atomized condition on the interior of the heating element supports so as to be vaporized by the heat thereof enabling the water vapor to issue from the top of the supports and any excess water to drain back into the water reservoir. Inthis manner water vapor may be developed by the heat of the heating elements and issue into the atmosphere heat-- ing it by the heating elements to maintain or increase the humidity and overcome the objection of most electric heaters which heat the air without altering the humidity and consequently give the impression of drying.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be made manifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawings for an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the electric heater embodying the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, the improved electric heater comprises a suitable container constituting a reservoir for water W. This container has a cover I on which one or more heating element supports l2 are mounted. The heating element supports l2 may be formed of fire clay, ceramics or any other suitable rigid heat insulating material. On their exteriors electric heating elements l3 are mounted which may be electrically connected to any suitable source of electric current in any conventional or preferred manner.

The upper ends of the supports 12 are open as indicated at M and the lower ends of these tubular supports are open to the interior of the reservoir above the partition l5 disposed therein. A tube l6 extends downwardly into the reservoir to adjacent the bottom thereof and this tube is provided with branches equipped with atomizing spray heads ll disposed within the supports l2. An air pump i8 is mounted on the container it and when operated creates an air pressure in the air space I!) over the water W therein. This air pressure is effective to force the Water up through the tube It and cause it to be discharged in a very fine spray on the interior of the supports l2. These supports which are heated by the heating elements I3 serve to assist in vaporizing the discharged water and the water vapor issued through the open upper ends of the support humidifying the air heated by the heating elements.

In the preferred form of construction tube It is also equipped with a spray pipe 20 having a valve 2! which in turn is adapted to be connected to a water supply pipe. If the heater is to be stationarily located the valve 2| is connected to any water supply pipe and the pressure of the water therein is effective to cause it to discharge in a finely divided condition from the spray head ll. On the other hand if the heater is to be transported from place to place the valve 2! is disconnected from the water pp y pine and is closed in which case the air pump I8 is utilized to develop the pressure in the water reservoir to force the water therefrom upwardly to the spray head. 22 indicates a cap that may be removed from time to time to refill the water reservoir and then be replaced.

Any excess of water that discharges from the spray heads and which is not vaporized may trickle back from the supports I2 and collect on top of the partition l5. This water wall ordinarily only collect when the heater is cold and when the heater becomes thoroughly heated the collected Water is quickly vaporized into water vapor that issues from the tops of the supports l2.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that the improved electric heater not only adequately heats but vaporizes Water to correct the humidity. As the water discharges inside of the tubular sup orts for the heating elements danger of short-circuiting is avoided.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departin r t sp t and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An electric heater having an upright openended tubular support on the exterior of which is mounted electrical heating elements, and means for discharging Water in the interior of said support.

2. An electric heater comprising a holder for water supply, and one or more upright open-ended tubular supports having electric heating elements mounted on the exterior thereof, and means for forcing Water from the Water supply so as to be discharged in a finely divided condition in the interiors of said tubular supports.

3. An electric heater comprising means providing a water reservoir, one or more upright open-ended tubular supports mounted thereon, electric heating elements mounted on the exteriors of the tubular supports and means for forcing water from the Water reservoir so as to be discharged on the interiors of said tubular supports.

4. An electric heater comprising a plurality of upstanding open-ended tubular supports having electric heating elements mounted on the ext-erior thereof, sprays arranged to discharge on the interiors of said supports and means for discharging water through said sprays.

5. An electric heater comprising a plurality of upstanding tubular supports having electric heating elements mounted on the exterior thereof, sprays arranged to discharge on the interiors of said supports and means for discharging water through said sprays comprising a closed container adapted to contain a supply of water, a tube leading from the sprays into the water therein and an air pump for developing air pressure over the water in said container.

CHARLES LIBMAN.

W. A. GRIBBLE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,973,973 Bookman Sept. 18, 1934 20 1,081,463 Pentz Dec. 16, 1913 2,170,551 Cummings, Jr Aug. 22, 1939 1,594,087 Arnold July 27, 1926 809,839 Payne Jan. 9, 1906 

